It just works: Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition Linux Ultrabook review

I've been terribly curious about the Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition since we first covered it back in November. This is a different beast from the flippy-touchscreen-equipped XPS 12—this Ultrabook contains zero touchscreens. However, it comes preloaded with Ubuntu Linux, and Dell has spent a substantial amount of time and effort in ensuring that it works—and works well.

In an effort originally known as Project Sputnik, Dell dedicated resources into doing Linux on an Ultrabook "right"—writing code where necessary (and contributing that code back upstream like a good FOSS citizen) and paying attention to the entire user experience rather than merely working on components in a vacuum. The result is a perfectly functional Ultrabook with a few extra tools—that "Developer Edition" moniker isn't just for show, and Dell has added some devops spices into the mix with this laptop that should quicken any developer's heartbeat.

Damning Linux with praise

Linux is not yet "ready for the desktop," and I'm doubtful it will ever be—at least not in the sense that an average person could use it full-time without any assistance. I've struggled before with using Linux as my full-time operating environment both at work and at home. I did it for years at work, but it was never quite as easy as I wanted it to be—on an older Dell laptop, keeping dual monitor support working correctly across updates required endless fiddling with xorg.conf, and whether or not it was Nvidia's fault was totally irrelevant to swearing, cursing Past Lee, trying desperately to get his monitors to display images so he could make his 10am conference call without having to resort to running the meeting on the small laptop screen.

The remarkable thing about the XPS 13 Developer Edition is that it's so unremarkable—it has Ubuntu 12.04 LTS installed out of the box, and it simply works. The trackpad does two-finger scrolling (with inertia!) without having to add some random crazy guy's PPA and install extra packages. It picked up my Wi-Fi network and joined it without requiring me to do anything other than supply the passkey. It just worked.

It's an impressive achievement, and it's also a sad comment on the overall viability of Linux as a consumer-facing operating system for normal people. I don't think anyone is arguing that Linux hasn't earned its place in the data center—it most certainly has—but there's no way I'd feel comfy installing even newbie-friendly Ubuntu or Mint on my parents' computers. The XPS 13 DE shows the level of functionality and polish possible with extra effort, and that effort and polish together means this kind of Linux integration is something we won't see very often outside of boutique OEMs.

Diving in

The XPS 13 comes in a pretty black box. Packed in along with the computer is a warranty card, quick-start guide, and a small power brick and cable. There are also some cool "Project Sputnik" stickers, which is great because stickers are awesome.

The Developer Edition XPS 13 is externally identical to the regular one available via Dell's website. The clamshell lid is aluminum, and the laptop's bottom surface is coated in soft checkerboard patterned plastic. The palm rests and area around the keyboard are also plastic, though they feel almost rubberized—it's not at all unpleasant.

Enlarge/ Looking at the dark face of the XPS 13 Developer Edition. Black is the predominant color, drawing attention to the screen when on and de-emphasizing the rest, which is good. The lack of crapware stickers is most, most welcome.

Lee Hutchinson

The left side of the laptop hosts the socket for the power adapter (which glows white when plugged in), a USB 3.0 port, and a headphone jack. The right side holds another USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort for an external monitor, and, thoughtfully, a light-up meter to report on the health of the 47 watt-hour battery.

Enlarge/ Oblique angle on the XPS 13, showing the textured bottom and vents, along with a DisplayPort plug, one USB 3.0 port, and the battery meter button and display.

Lee Hutchinson

The trackpad isn't glass, but rather more rubberized plastic. The entire surface depresses when clicked, but there is a small indentation at the bottom to demarcate the left and right buttons.

The keyboard is unfortunately spongy, far more than I found comfortable. Key travel is short, but the keys don't bottom out with anything approaching authority, and the keypress effort is far too light for me. On the positive side, though, the chiclet-style island keys are backlit. I've grown so used to using a backlit keyboard that I'd now consider it a requirement for any laptop or Ultrabook (it's just very handy on the occasions that I need to look at the keyboard—like when typing a complex password).

Enlarge/ XPS 13 keyboard detail. I found the keys to be unfortunately spongy.

Lee Hutchinson

The screen is glossy, which I like, a choice that will no doubt elicit an immediate "I HATE THIS AND WANT TO THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW" response for a lot of people. Along the top edge of the bezel is the integrated 720p camera flanked by a pair of microphones. The aluminum of the clamshell's top is visible peeking around the edge of the screen, providing an outline of all the black plastic and glass.

The entire visual effect of looking at the opened XPS 13 is very pleasing, and the black screen border coupled with the matte black keyboard and trackpad and palm rests creates a simple, monochromatic, clutter-free face that encourages engagement. I was especially happy to see that the palm rests were not gunked up with the typical annoying explosion of multicolored stickers—with the exception of a white-on-black Intel Core i7 sticker (which actually looks quite nice!)—so there's nothing to visually distract you from working.

My biggest complaint with the XPS 13 is that its lid isn't quite sprung and balanced for one-handed opening. You can hook the edge of a finger under the edge of the closed bezel and lift, but the whole computer comes with your finger, unfortunately; I had to do a bit of rocking or jiggling to make the bottom drop away from the lid. It's a little thing, but it's definitely an area where a little more engineering effort could have been spent.

Enlarge/ Beneath the XPS badge on the bottom of the Ultrabook is the service tag, serial number, and a neat little Ubuntu sticker.

Lee Hutchinson

Enlarge/ Bottom of the XPS 13 with plastic cover removed. It's pretty tight in there, and you're not going to be replacing very much. The RAM is soldered to the motherboard.

Lee Hutchinson

Making with the Linux

If you've installed Ubuntu before, then you already know what the setup procedure for the XPS 13 DE looks like. The SSD-equipped laptop took about 10 seconds to boot the very first time and displayed a friendly Ubuntu intro movie—with sound. Is it bad if I say that I was impressed that sound worked right out of the box?

After that, the process was standard Ubuntu. I was prompted for my preferred language, then I had to agree to the EULA, and then I was presented with the Wi-Fi network picker. The trackpad—another often-broken peripheral under Linux—worked perfectly throughout setup and even had two-finger inertial scrolling enabled by default. The Wi-Fi picker found my WLAN and accepted my password, and I zipped through the rest of the setup.

One notable difference between the Ubuntu 12.04 LTS preinstalled on the XPS 13 DE and the current version of Ubuntu is that 12.04 doesn't give the user the option during setup to enable full-disk encryption since this wasn't added to the installer until 12.10. You can encrypt your home directory during setup, but not the entire disk—at least not without abandoning the guided setup process and doing it yourself.

After clicking through the prompts, I arrived at a familiar-looking blank Unity desktop.

I'm mostly a linux newbie. I do tech support for a living - PCs - WIndows.

Because I was frustrated with WIndows, I tried Ubuntu. Because I got frustrated with Ubuntu, I tried Linux Mint. Currently, at home, I've got three laptops, a PIII thinkpad running Crunchbang, a Dell D830 running Linux Mint v14, KDE, and a Dell XPS 5520, dual boot running Win 7 x64, and Bodhi Linux 2.3x. At work, I've converted several older PCs: Dell Optiplex 170L, 210L, 745, 755, an old Gateway PC to various versions of Linux Mint or Ubuntu. I find them just fine for browsing, basic office tasks - spreadsheets, documents. On my home PC, I've got WINE and am running Swift3D - a Windows based application, Blender, XBMC, Inkscape, Pinta (basic image editing), the latest versions of Firefox and Chrome as well as VirtualBox for testing of ISOs which I download regularly from distrowatch. And I'm currently tinkering with raspberry pi.

I'm by no means a guru. I'm not bragging. I just like fiddling with Linux. Most of what I want to do in Linux I've searched for on the web. Like Windows, there's just TONS of info available. And yet, I can't seem to interest WIndows users in Linux. Linux isn't perfect. But, it is a free OS that runs decent apps performing common tasks without much headache.

My wife, who is barely computer literate (Youtube and Solitaire) have been the broad scope of her computer experience gets to where she wants to go without much effort - she's happy.

Just seems to me, not everybody needs a full set of bells and whistles to be functional. Given what PCs are currently capable of. Take an older PC with even as little as 1 GB (and I remember PCs of considerably less) RAM and an 80 GB HD with a standard 17" flatscreen monitor and Linux Mint 9 - 12 works as does Linux Ubuntu 10 - 12.04 LTS.

And, once you get the OS, for a good amount of what you might want to do, there's a ton of stuff, FREE for the asking.

If I need to do office work, I can remote in to work and tap into Windows Terminal Server or drill down to my office desktop. If I need to move files from one system to another, there's GMail.

Maybe I'm just too easy to please.

I'm 57 going on 58 - not a youngster by any stretch.

My wife is a year younger than I am.

I don't have a Facebook, Twitter account but, I'm not exactly living in a cave either.

I'm not trying to sing the praises of Linux. What you use is up to you. It's not perfect. But, it seems to be working just fine for me and my wife. Your mileage may vary.

I like Linux. I recommend it. I gladly show it to anyone who asks.

I don't tell them it will solve all their problems, but, for the most part, my experience has been that for the most part it works for what I want to do.

This Dell sounds like a worthwhile contribution.

If I had the money, I'd buy it.

That's a well written statement. I agree with you completely. i just want to add though that there are some higher level uses that Linux is just better for. For instance, high end motion picture cg graphics, science and math, learning about how computers work.

To which I would add, the benefit of Windows is that it is a fixed target. Proprietary to a degree - a known quantity. If it works and suits one's purpose great. If it doesn't, there's only so much that can be done.Linux is modular, customizable to the granular level. If it doesn't work, it can be tweaked, remade, redesigned from the ground up - one of the primary reasons for so many variations. The downside is that since it can be so easily customized and changed it's not a fixed (or necessarily stable) target. The plus is that if it doesn't suit your needs, you can change it or find a version which better suits your needs.

That's why I really don't have a dog in the fight of what's better. Needs are different. Applications / operating systems / programming languages are different.

The trick is in not getting too enamored of one over the other in pursuit of solutions. Take from each what each has to offer and move on.

I'm more than anything a computer user. There are those who design them, build them, and (micro) manage the components. Those who inhale code as naturally as air or water. Those for whom electronics is a (fluent) second language.

As I said, I'm no guru. I am in awe of those who are. I'm at a level and interest that works for me.

I'm at a level that, like a reporter in pursuit of a story and its facts, I know where to look, what to look for, and what to do with what I find. And I deal with enough problems on a daily basis that I am precluded from being a master of any. Knowing just enough to keep things running - not always smoothly. And sometimes knowing enough to explain why, before the model is up ended and the process begins all over in a different direction.

It took us all of about 50 years to get from room sized to pocket sized. Knowing that, I can fully appreciate an Ubuntu laptop for what it is a useful tool in a different direction.

And, I will add to its list of possibilities "high end motion picture cg graphics, science and math" as we;; as "learning about how computers work". And add to that list, if that's not enough, feel free to change it and make it your own. That's what Dell has done here. No need to stop there.

Why does Ars and other media promotes these bricks? They are junk within a year of purchase, overpriced, and non-upgradable.

i'm tired of these rave reviews of laptops that you can't customize at purchase or upgrade after purchase. apple did it, now Dell, and i'm sure there are others. and this one is $1500!! Maybe Dell could get away with the <$1000 for an un-configurable, non-upgradable laptop. (not in my book, but I'm sure there is a market for it). I know they have other models, and _if_ i buy from Dell that's where i'd start.

laptop manfs: I (nor my company) will purcahse laptops that cannot be upgraded after purchase (at least RAM, storage, and wifi/bluetooth) Tech changes too fast to get stuck with 8G of RAM for 3 years. I also want to be able to remove the camera at purchase time. (my company does not allow cameras in the vault)

To which I would add, the benefit of Windows is that it is a fixed target. Proprietary to a degree - a known quantity. If it works and suits one's purpose great. If it doesn't, there's only so much that can be done.Linux is modular, customizable to the granular level. If it doesn't work, it can be tweaked, remade, redesigned from the ground up - one of the primary reasons for so many variations. The downside is that since it can be so easily customized and changed it's not a fixed (or necessarily stable) target. The plus is that if it doesn't suit your needs, you can change it or find a version which better suits your needs.

That's why I really don't have a dog in the fight of what's better. Needs are different. Applications / operating systems / programming languages are different.

The trick is in not getting too enamored of one over the other in pursuit of solutions. Take from each what each has to offer and move on.

I'm more than anything a computer user. There are those who design them, build them, and (micro) manage the components. Those who inhale code as naturally as air or water. Those for whom electronics is a (fluent) second language.

As I said, I'm no guru. I am in awe of those who are. I'm at a level and interest that works for me.

I'm at a level that, like a reporter in pursuit of a story and its facts, I know where to look, what to look for, and what to do with what I find. And I deal with enough problems on a daily basis that I am precluded from being a master of any. Knowing just enough to keep things running - not always smoothly. And sometimes knowing enough to explain why, before the model is up ended and the process begins all over in a different direction.

It took us all of about 50 years to get from room sized to pocket sized. Knowing that, I can fully appreciate an Ubuntu laptop for what it is a useful tool in a different direction.

And, I will add to its list of possibilities "high end motion picture cg graphics, science and math" as we;; as "learning about how computers work". And add to that list, if that's not enough, feel free to change it and make it your own. That's what Dell has done here. No need to stop there.

Why does Ars and other media promotes these bricks? They are junk within a year of purchase, overpriced, and non-upgradable.

i'm tired of these rave reviews of laptops that you can't customize at purchase or upgrade after purchase. apple did it, now Dell, and i'm sure there are others. and this one is $1500!! Maybe Dell could get away with the <$1000 for an un-configurable, non-upgradable laptop. (not in my book, but I'm sure there is a market for it). I know they have other models, and _if_ i buy from Dell that's where i'd start.

laptop manfs: I (nor my company) will purcahse laptops that cannot be upgraded after purchase (at least RAM, storage, and wifi/bluetooth) Tech changes too fast to get stuck with 8G of RAM for 3 years. I also want to be able to remove the camera at purchase time. (my company does not allow cameras in the vault)

Because having a compact computer that works well is enough. I don't need a dozen configurations to choose from, and I'm not planning on increasing the RAM on my computer - I bought one which already had enough for my purposes. I'd rather the company selling the computers edited the choices down to a few good configurations, if that means that the computer overall is better built. Apple recognized this, and their Macbook Air line is great. I'm glad PC manufacturers have followed suit and are offering similarly well thought-out options, rather than spewing millions of junk options onto the market.

I actually tried to get my dad on ubuntu, it was a nightmare.I had to hunt for hours for some custom tool for my dad to select a solid color as a desktop background.Then he wanted to burn some CDs but we couldn't get any of the programs to work.Then he needed to read some floppies on an external USB drive to find auto mounting USB floppies on linux has 3 generations of abandoned alpha HAL event daemons none of which work quite right.

Yea, it can surf the web just fine. But that is about all you can do with linux.Ubuntu and its derivatives are the worst flavor of linux I am familiar with. OpenSuse is my favorite.

I actually tried to get my dad on ubuntu, it was a nightmare.I had to hunt for hours for some custom tool for my dad to select a solid color as a desktop background.Then he wanted to burn some CDs but we couldn't get any of the programs to work.Then he needed to read some floppies on an external USB drive to find auto mounting USB floppies on linux has 3 generations of abandoned alpha HAL event daemons none of which work quite right.

Yea, it can surf the web just fine. But that is about all you can do with linux.Ubuntu and its derivatives are the worst flavor of linux I am familiar with. OpenSuse is my favorite.

I'm good enough with Linux to install 'Freenix' and use it professionally in place of Citrix and Terminal Server. Most users prefer the GUI and environment to increasingly disjointed and bullying Microsoft environments that want you to sign up to 'Live' every other window and toggle randomly back and forth between office ribbons, aero shells, and stupid Metro interfaces. Somebody at MS needs to pass out Ritalin.

I'm also practical enough to admit Linux can't even run Photoshop native, and don't like being told what apps I'm allowed to run by kids who think Linux is kewl because it's sticking it to the man.

I actually tried to get my dad on ubuntu, it was a nightmare.I had to hunt for hours for some custom tool for my dad to select a solid color as a desktop background.Then he wanted to burn some CDs but we couldn't get any of the programs to work.Then he needed to read some floppies on an external USB drive to find auto mounting USB floppies on linux has 3 generations of abandoned alpha HAL event daemons none of which work quite right.

Yea, it can surf the web just fine. But that is about all you can do with linux.Ubuntu and its derivatives are the worst flavor of linux I am familiar with. OpenSuse is my favorite.

I'm not going to counter with the "my experience with Ubuntu is flawless" anecdote, because those anecdotal tit-for-tats can go on all day.

But just to be clear, you think your experience is typical, and that all the happy Ubuntu users out there (actually, looks like you are making this claim about Linux in general) are doing nothing more constructive than surfing the web -- am I understanding you correctly?

I'm not claiming Ubuntu should be the one choice for everyone. I'm just not entirely sure you've provided convincing evidence to support your conclusion - especially since it takes about 15 seconds using the default backgrounds tool in Ubuntu to change to a solid background instead of a wallpaper. (Right-click desktop, select change desktop background, choose "Colors and Gradients" from the dropdown, pick your color -- and gradient if you wish.)

I'm good enough with Linux to install 'Freenix' and use it professionally in place of Citrix and Terminal Server. Most users prefer the GUI and environment to increasingly disjointed and bullying Microsoft environments that want you to sign up to 'Live' every other window and toggle randomly back and forth between office ribbons, aero shells, and stupid Metro interfaces. Somebody at MS needs to pass out Ritalin.

I have to agree with you completely on this one. Personally I like Microsoft though I'm primarily a Linux user.

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I'm also practical enough to admit Linux can't even run Photoshop native, and don't like being told what apps I'm allowed to run by kids who think Linux is kewl because it's sticking it to the man.

I know what you mean, but I don't understand the slight tinge of hostility. I personally keep a Windows partition solely for Photoshop and Zbrush. Nothing else because I also am practical enough to admit I can't run Photoshop native in Linux. And for the kind of power I need when I use photoshop, it isn't even really possible to use it in a VM. (GPU acceleration in VM's is unfortunately not there yet.) So, you're right, Linux can't run Photoshop, but until recently, Windows couldn't run Mari (OSX still can't run Mari). Mari is the cream of the crop texture editor for cg graphics. It's kind of a photoshop on steroids for working in 3d. It costs over $1000 and can bring most computers to their knees. For what it does, there is nothing more powerful and Weta, Dreamworks, and ILM all use it. Until recently it was only available for Linux. There are some of us out here who aren't just using Linux because they're trying to stick it to the man. Let's not forget that there is a whole science and math community out there for which Windows and OSX is inadequate and must use Linux.

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Nice work on the part of Dell, but otherwise big shrug.

Come on brother, surely Dell deserves a little more than a shrug for this.

Come on brother, surely Dell deserves a little more than a shrug for this.

Have to

I also think that even though the pricing is very premium and there's nitpicks here and there, Dell deserves a respectful nod as a company for this effort and esp. Barton himself http://bartongeorge.net/tag/project-sputnik/

First iteration of everything usually is not the greatest. I'd say "shrug" becomes the appropriate reaction when some reasonable amount of time has proven they won't listen to anything their users have to say about it. Considering how fast the FullHD screen came through, they've moved quite hastily so far.

There are some of us out here who aren't just using Linux because they're trying to stick it to the man. Let's not forget that there is a whole science and math community out there for which Windows and OSX is inadequate and must use Linux.

I would say there are many areas where Linux is nowadays the standard platform.Mostly, because the software ecosystem traces it's roots to proprietary Unix systems, when x86 CPUs were far too slow to be considered.And when x86 did become suitable, changing to Unix on x86 (*BSD, SCO, Linux) was by far the easiest path.It's just that those outside those areas never even hear about it.

For you, it seems to be 3D.On my little world, it's the integrated circuit design tools that nowadays are available for a couple of proprietary Unixes and Linux. Windows isn't the plans of anyone, as far as I know.

I also think that even though the pricing is very premium and there's nitpicks here and there, Dell deserves a respectful nod as a company for this effort and esp. Barton himself http://bartongeorge.net/tag/project-sputnik/

First iteration of everything usually is not the greatest. I'd say "shrug" becomes the appropriate reaction when some reasonable amount of time has proven they won't listen to anything their users have to say about it. Considering how fast the FullHD screen came through, they've moved quite hastily so far.

I have to concede that the first iteration of this with the low res screen, deserved a shrug

I would say there are many areas where Linux is nowadays the standard platform.Mostly, because the software ecosystem traces it's roots to proprietary Unix systems, when x86 CPUs were far too slow to be considered.And when x86 did become suitable, changing to Unix on x86 (*BSD, SCO, Linux) was by far the easiest path.It's just that those outside those areas never even hear about it.

For you, it seems to be 3D.On my little world, it's the integrated circuit design tools that nowadays are available for a couple of proprietary Unixes and Linux. Windows isn't the plans of anyone, as far as I know.

The bottom of the unit is real carbon fibre, not checkerboard plastic. Also, out of the box the Unity wireless wizard doesn't like WPA2-Enterprise WLANs using PEAP with certificates not signed by a recognised authority -- it crashes.

It's an entirely different form factor. I have a few months old Thinkpad T430 (not the slim one, albeit) with the same size SSD and 16GB of RAM, and I'm probably still going to buy one of these because they're very different beasts.

I just registered (and found out I were already) because I wanted to react on:Linux is not yet "ready for the desktop," and I'm doubtful it will ever be

I just wanted to note you obviously have 0 (zilch, nothing) of experience with recent Ubuntu version.The stuff you talk about is from years back. To me it shows you are incompetent. Period.Ubuntu had had en is much more ready for the desktop that ANY windows version.You know what isn't? Windows 8!

So next time, before you write a review, make sure you did your homework.That is what people expect here.I really hate people who rant about stuff they never used properly.Ubuntu 13.04 is simply awesome, and dual monitor support has been longly address.Dell shows how suitable Ubuntu is. Developers want to develop, not be busy with f#*cking up there windows, updating virus scanners and not be productive by a horrible interface.Thanks Dell!

I just registered (and found out I were already) because I wanted to react on:Linux is not yet "ready for the desktop," and I'm doubtful it will ever be

I just wanted to note you obviously have 0 (zilch, nothing) of experience with recent Ubuntu version.The stuff you talk about is from years back. To me it shows you are incompetent. Period.Ubuntu had had en is much more ready for the desktop that ANY windows version.You know what isn't? Windows 8!

I've used OSX for years and years now. But before that I used Linux -- I think first was RedHat, then SUSE, then Gentoo, maybe Slackware for a while -- anyways, I always had a problem with the "Isn't ready for the desktop" argument, even back then.

Honestly, for your average everyday user, you sit them down in front of KDE, and really what's the difference? Click on the browser icon, the browser opens. Type "Facebook" or whatever, and it goes to that site. Click on the email icon, and email opens, etc.

And certainly, today (as you say), the differences between advanced Linux GUIs and systems and OSX or Windows (well, maybe not Windows 8) are really either cosmetic or way too under the hood for the average user to even notice.

It's like a meme: "Linux isn't ready for the desktop" gets repeated enough times, often by people who don't even USE Linux, and all sorts of people believe it. Anyone who believes, in this day and age especially, that you have to be some sort of "power user" or a developer or something to use Linux is seriously misinformed.

I just registered (and found out I were already) because I wanted to react on:Linux is not yet "ready for the desktop," and I'm doubtful it will ever be

I just wanted to note you obviously have 0 (zilch, nothing) of experience with recent Ubuntu version.The stuff you talk about is from years back. To me it shows you are incompetent. Period.Ubuntu had had en is much more ready for the desktop that ANY windows version.You know what isn't? Windows 8!

I've used OSX for years and years now. But before that I used Linux -- I think first was RedHat, then SUSE, then Gentoo, maybe Slackware for a while -- anyways, I always had a problem with the "Isn't ready for the desktop" argument, even back then.

Honestly, for your average everyday user, you sit them down in front of KDE, and really what's the difference? Click on the browser icon, the browser opens. Type "Facebook" or whatever, and it goes to that site. Click on the email icon, and email opens, etc.

And certainly, today (as you say), the differences between advanced Linux GUIs and systems and OSX or Windows (well, maybe not Windows 8) are really either cosmetic or way too under the hood for the average user to even notice.

It's like a meme: "Linux isn't ready for the desktop" gets repeated enough times, often by people who don't even USE Linux, and all sorts of people believe it. Anyone who believes, in this day and age especially, that you have to be some sort of "power user" or a developer or something to use Linux is seriously misinformed.

The usual (and moronic) counter argument is the tiny market share linux has on the desktop. But then, a review that considers multi monitor setups essential for an os to be "desktop ready "...

The usual (and moronic) counter argument is the tiny market share linux has on the desktop. But then, a review that considers multi monitor setups essential for an os to be "desktop ready "...

In my experience using Linux, and my dad still uses it (Debian), I can't figure out an application or use case that Linux doesn't handle just fine -- other than games. OTOH, the same can be said about games when it comes to OSX. I haven't done any gaming in years, but I can't run the new "Tomb Raider" on my iMac i5 without running a Windows VM. And I'm definitely not paying for Windows to play one game.*

But other than gaming (and let's face it: most hardcore gamers have a dedicated machine for gaming), what can OSX or Windows do that Linux can't?

I do hope that more dedicated Linux machines see the light of day, if for no other reason than to crush this ridiculous "Linux isn't for the average user" argument.

I do hope that more dedicated Linux machines see the light of day, if for no other reason than to crush this ridiculous "Linux isn't for the average user" argument.

900 million android devices would like to make a point about "linux for the average user"...

Come on, you know what I mean.

I do. I just think the point has been proven already.People who insist that linux isn't for "the average user " today won't change their mind because Dell, HP and Sony make 10 linux models each.

Fair enough. But I think that if people even see some desktop penetration in the Linux area, it could help. Maybe I'm just being optimistic.

The whole problem with "Linux isn't for the average user" has nothing to do with the average user and has everything to do with business. Microsoft simply will not allow to show that there is something viable besides their own product. People already don't like paying to software, so what's the point of showing them that there is software that works decently well for most usage cases that doesn't require you to buy new license every two or three years. Debian stable is as stable as it comes.

Further analysis shows that we're still in the same mess as people were in the sixties with IBM that used to bundle their software with the hardware, but after the antitrust inquiries they stopped doing that. With the rise of Microsoft and Apple we're back where we started: hardware is pretty much forcefully bundled with software and services. The only company that doesn't or tries not to do that to some degree is Google, but they often fail too. The latest Chromebooks are more locked down than all Apple hardware combined.

The difference between Linux on the desktop and x86 in ARM space is that Intel pushes its x86 products to replace ARM. Who's trying to push linux on the desktop? No one. So, we're left at the mercy of the big companies, which have no interest in that.

I'm hoping for a refresh, but I suspect that Dell might not refresh the XPS 13, unfortunately. They have the XPS 12 with a smaller, convertable touchscreen that presumably meets the new Ultrabook branking requirements of having a touchscreen, and they have the 7000 series which are slightly heavier but have conventional swappable batteries and conventional slotted RAM.

If the XPS 13 Linux Developer's Edition gets refreshed to Haswell and is available with at least 16GB of RAM I'm surely getting one, but otherwise I'll consider a E7440 when those are available with an acceptable-resolution screen and hopefully GPS in the form of a WWAN card. (I use the Gobi 3000 in my T430 only as an internal GPS.)

The usual (and moronic) counter argument is the tiny market share linux has on the desktop. But then, a review that considers multi monitor setups essential for an os to be "desktop ready "...

In my experience using Linux, and my dad still uses it (Debian), I can't figure out an application or use case that Linux doesn't handle just fine -- other than games. OTOH, the same can be said about games when it comes to OSX. I haven't done any gaming in years, but I can't run the new "Tomb Raider" on my iMac i5 without running a Windows VM. And I'm definitely not paying for Windows to play one game.*

But other than gaming (and let's face it: most hardcore gamers have a dedicated machine for gaming), what can OSX or Windows do that Linux can't?

I do hope that more dedicated Linux machines see the light of day, if for no other reason than to crush this ridiculous "Linux isn't for the average user" argument.

Steam on Linux is awesome, sure you don't get the full catalog of Steam games but you get plenty. On top of that there are plenty of neat indie games on Linux these days, I was just playing Space Pirates and Zombies on my Ubuntu desktop.

The usual (and moronic) counter argument is the tiny market share linux has on the desktop. But then, a review that considers multi monitor setups essential for an os to be "desktop ready "...

In my experience using Linux, and my dad still uses it (Debian), I can't figure out an application or use case that Linux doesn't handle just fine -- other than games. OTOH, the same can be said about games when it comes to OSX. I haven't done any gaming in years, but I can't run the new "Tomb Raider" on my iMac i5 without running a Windows VM. And I'm definitely not paying for Windows to play one game.*

But other than gaming (and let's face it: most hardcore gamers have a dedicated machine for gaming), what can OSX or Windows do that Linux can't?

I do hope that more dedicated Linux machines see the light of day, if for no other reason than to crush this ridiculous "Linux isn't for the average user" argument.

Steam on Linux is awesome, sure you don't get the full catalog of Steam games but you get plenty. On top of that there are plenty of neat indie games on Linux these days, I was just playing Space Pirates and Zombies on my Ubuntu desktop.

Cool.

Now, if they can just port "Tomb Raider" over to OSX, all will be right with the world.

I'm hoping for a refresh, but I suspect that Dell might not refresh the XPS 13, unfortunately. They have the XPS 12 with a smaller, convertable touchscreen that presumably meets the new Ultrabook branking requirements of having a touchscreen, and they have the 7000 series which are slightly heavier but have conventional swappable batteries and conventional slotted RAM.

If the XPS 13 Linux Developer's Edition gets refreshed to Haswell and is available with at least 16GB of RAM I'm surely getting one, but otherwise I'll consider a E7440 when those are available with an acceptable-resolution screen and hopefully GPS in the form of a WWAN card. (I use the Gobi 3000 in my T430 only as an internal GPS.)

I am hopeful that they will refresh the XPS line. The new Latitude E7440 is awesome if you have nothing against weird design and touchpad from the nineties. I have, so I'll continue waiting for the xps update. In the worst case scenario I'll get one of the ASUS ultrabooks or an Apple macbook and run ubuntu in a VM.

edit: E7440 and E7240 have already been certified for Ubuntu. They run Ubuntu 12.04.2, so you shouln't see any problems whatsoever.

I am hopeful that they will refresh the XPS line. The new Latitude E7440 is awesome if you have nothing against weird design and touchpad from the nineties. I have, so I'll continue waiting for the xps update.

Can you tell me more about what you disliked on the E7440? I don't have any firsthand experience with the new 7000s like I do with the XPS 13 and XPS 12.

I am hopeful that they will refresh the XPS line. The new Latitude E7440 is awesome if you have nothing against weird design and touchpad from the nineties. I have, so I'll continue waiting for the xps update.

Can you tell me more about what you disliked on the E7440? I don't have any firsthand experience with the new 7000s like I do with the XPS 13 and XPS 12.

I still haven't seen one in real life, so I might be exaggerating very much. There's a video of one on YouTube, you can check it.

On the negative side the touchpad looks cramped and it has buttons, the back side is where most of its ports are, the keyboard really doesn't look nice (it might be awesome to write on it, though), and it has a fingerprint reader. Oh, and I forgot to mention that it has removable batteries. For me all of this doesn't add value, it adds weight, which is a bad thing.

On the positive side the shell appears to be made from aluminum and carbon fiber or something like that.

Anyway, I'm not a businessman, so it's obvious why this laptop doesn't really appeal to me. I just need something light and sturdy with long battery life and good screen without too much bs. But, if everything I complained about doesn't bother you then you should give this machine a chance. You might even like it.

By the way, you said you have some experience with the XPS. Do you mind sharing it with me.

I am hopeful that they will refresh the XPS line. The new Latitude E7440 is awesome if you have nothing against weird design and touchpad from the nineties. I have, so I'll continue waiting for the xps update.

Can you tell me more about what you disliked on the E7440? I don't have any firsthand experience with the new 7000s like I do with the XPS 13 and XPS 12.

I still haven't seen one in real life, so I might be exaggerating very much. There's a video of one on YouTube, you can check it.

On the negative side the touchpad looks cramped and it has buttons, the back side is where most of its ports are, the keyboard really doesn't look nice (it might be awesome to write on it, though), and it has a fingerprint reader. Oh, and I forgot to mention that it has removable batteries. For me all of this doesn't add value, it adds weight, which is a bad thing.

On the positive side the shell appears to be made from aluminum and carbon fiber or something like that.

Anyway, I'm not a businessman, so it's obvious why this laptop doesn't really appeal to me. I just need something light and sturdy with long battery life and good screen without too much bs. But, if everything I complained about doesn't bother you then you should give this machine a chance. You might even like it.

I don't get the objection to removable batteries. Removable batteries might add a little weight (surely not nearly enough to be a deal-breaker), but they're a plus -- you can not only easily replace them, you can carry a spare when travelling, or swap in a larger capacity battery.

Of course, I also have a strong aversion designed/built-in obsolescence, and object to non-replaceable batteries on principle... just like I object to soldered in RAM, etc.

Lee Hutchinson / Lee is the Senior Reviews Editor at Ars and is responsible for the product news and reviews section. He also knows stuff about enterprise storage, security, and manned space flight. Lee is based in Houston, TX.